Imagine what it would be like to have your first mammogram…while seated in a wheelchair

For women around the world it is almost like a rite of passage: the baseline mammogram. It is advised to get it done prior to age 40 and I crossed that bridge this year. It is an interesting process that I felt more like a mannequin than a person, being positioned in such a way that the mammography machine can take the best picture. As I was standing there, being the compliant patient, I could not help but wonder, how would this process work if I were seated in a wheelchair? If I did not have control over my arms or my torso? Could the machine get a good picture???

In my case I actually needed to return as there was an inconclusive spot on one of my pictures. After a second round with the machine, it was determined that it was a positioning issue that folded the skin in such a way that obscured the picture. Now, if this can happen with an able-bodied person that can twist and contort in any way requested, how can one be sure an accurate picture can be taken for someone with a mobility impairment?

I frequently wonder how my husband manages, with a C5-C6 incomplete spinal cord injury, when he has a medical appointment. I think about this as I sit in the dentist chair, as I am seated on the family doctor’s exam table, as I am getting up on the x-ray table sitting just so to get the best picture. Currently, it may take him some extra time, but he is able to complete these functional transfers. What will happen five, ten or twenty years from now when he has less mobility? Less ability to complete functional transfers? How do others with mobility limitations manage this task when the equipment is built for use with able-bodied persons?

This is yet another area of accessibility that has been overlooked. I am thankful that there will be regulations for medical diagnostic equipment, but am realistic in knowing that seeing this actually take effect in the doctor offices may take a while.